In the ecommerce world, Christmas comes early, quite literally.
The shopping trends over the last few years unequivocally show that a growing number of consumers start shopping for holidays in mid-November.
However, Super Saturday (December 21), the Monday before Christmas (December 23), and the Saturday after Christmas (December 28) are still some of the top online sales events of the year.
Due to the high level of competition, capitalizing on these opportunities is far from easy for ecommerce brands operating on domestic and international markets. Even so, the holiday season provides digital retailers with a unique chance to sell off excess inventory and improve their customer loyalty.
Our ecommerce guide to the 2024 holiday season will supply you with key statistics, marketing tips, and an overview of the best-selling product categories to help you make the most of the festive season.
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Ecommerce during the holidays: The key facts
- Consumer spending in the US has increased from $211.7 billion in 2022 to $240.8 billion in 2024
- Online sales in the US are expected to increase by 2.3% to 3.3% from November 2024 until January 2025.
- According to the study released by Deloitte in September 2024, the worldwide ecommerce market is expected to grow by 7% to 9% during the 2024 holiday season.
- UK shoppers will spend approximately £600 on Christmas gifts and activities.
- The UK’s holiday season sales have steadily increased over the last decade, rising from £69.58 billion in 2014 to £97.13 billion in 2024.
- Shoppers in Germany will spend approximately €88 billion on Christmas shopping.
- Most consumers will shop for gifts, food, decorations, and candy during Christmastime.
- Apparel and gift cards are the most popular product categories among shoppers.
The impact of the holiday shopping on online sales
The Christmas shopping season is getting longer, in part due to the growing popularity of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Week.
As a result, over 50% of US and UK shoppers plan to shop for Christmas and New Year gifts before December, while only 5% of shoppers buy presents a week before Christmas.
This trend indicates that online retailers must start preparing their ecommerce stores months in advance in order to maximize their profits. This involves launching advertising campaigns, adding in-demand products to their stores, and ensuring all items are in stock.
The uptick in sales during the last two months of the year depends on multiple factors, such as the size of the market, consumers’ spending power, and your brand’s niche.
For instance, around 80% of holiday shoppers are searching for giftable and unique items, while only 17% of shoppers intend to spend on party supplies.
Furthermore, consumers in the US will spend an average of $1,014 during the holiday season. On the other hand, German shoppers are expected to spend 553 euros per person during this period.
That’s why the maximum profit international sellers can generate primarily depends on the market and the country’s average spending budget.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve: Online sales statistics
In-store shopping still dominates Christmas retail, even though online shopping is becoming more popular every year. The latest data shows that 76% of shoppers in the US plan to do half of their Christmas and New Year shopping online.
UK shoppers prefer buying Christmas gifts and supplies in-store, although the number of online purchases during this period is set to increase from previous years.
Consumers in Germany are expected to spend €21.2 billion on online holiday shopping, nearly 30% of the nation’s projected spending from American Thanksgiving until the end of the year.
However, it’s important to note that these figures include Christmas and New Year’s grocery shopping, a product category still dominated by in-store shopping.
This year, the average amount consumers plan to spend during Christmastime varies by country and ranges from $679 in the Netherlands to over $2,000 in Canada and Lebanon.
However, nearly 30% of Gen Z shoppers, the age group that predominantly shops online, plan to spend between €30 and €50 on Christmas gifts in 2024.
Furthermore, only 9% of Gen Z consumers can afford to spend over €100 per gift. Gen X and Baby Boomers shoppers have more purchasing power than Gen Z consumers, as their budgets are projected at approximately $800.
On the other hand, millennials in the US will increase their Christmas budgets by 22% during Christmastime from the year before, as the age group’s average spending budget is projected at $2,222.
Marketing tips for the 2024 holiday season
Even with consumers budgeting, sellers on international markets can still expect to generate substantial profit during the 2024 holiday season.
Only 7% of consumers intend to shop for Christmas and New Year’s exclusively online, while 9% plan to buy gifts and supplies in-store.
However, 34% of shoppers plan to combine offline and online shopping and do most of their holiday shopping online, while 30% intend to split their Christmas purchases in half between online and offline channels.
As a result, over 70% of consumers will do at least some of their shopping online this holiday season, creating a major opportunity for online store owners.
The holiday shopping season is getting longer, so ideally, you should prepare your holiday marketing strategy a few months before launching the first email marketing or ad campaign.
Ensuring that your store is optimized for mobile is paramount, as more than half of online sales this holiday season will be completed from mobile devices.
Offering flexible payment options can also help drive sales because the ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ option will account for approximately 9% of total ecommerce sales during the holidays.
Let’s go through more marketing tips you can rely on this holiday season to boost sales in your online store:
- Start offering discounts early: Reducing the prices of items listed in your store will help you get rid of access inventory while strengthening customer loyalty.
- Use your Christmas marketing budget strategically: The period between December 15 and 24 is the peak of the Christmas shopping season. You should increase your daily ad spend during this period to maximize the visibility of your listings and attract potential customers.
- Lean on the deliveries to maximize sales: Most shoppers look for fast and inexpensive deliveries when considering buying a product. Hence, offering free delivery for all items in your store could boost sales during Christmastime. International sellers can benefit from joining one of the Amazon FBA programs due to fast delivery times. However, 3PL solutions can be equally effective, but you must check whether your logistic provider can offer same-day or next-day deliveries during the holiday season.
- Harness the power of social media: Running ad campaigns on social media, partnering with influencers, or posting promotional offers on your store’s social media accounts can help attract new customers and boost sales during the peak of the holiday season.
The best-selling product categories during the holiday season
Researching the market and scouting for products that could attract consumers’ attention on international markets will help you prepare for the shopping frenzy leading up to Christmas and New Year.
The vast majority of shoppers search for giftable and unique items during Christmastime, so listing handmade jewelry, high-quality cosmetics products, or books in your store could spark interest and drive sales.
This Christmas, best-selling products will come from a handful of categories, but this doesn’t mean you should overlook other items you can use to attract shoppers from different target groups.
Apparel is the most popular product category this holiday season, as nearly 60% of shoppers will search for clothing items. However, high demand also suggests tough competition, so attracting customers in this niche can be difficult due to market saturation.
44% of online shoppers are choosing gift cards as Christmas presents. Moreover, e-gift cards are particularly popular among late Christmas shoppers as their sales increase during the last two weeks of December.
Fashion and accessories, cosmetics, home, and decoration are some of the most popular product categories among shoppers who purchase gift cards.
Products from toys, books, and video games categories are also expected to see an uptick in sales during the holiday season. So, adding items like educational and interactive toys or LEGO sets to your online store can boost your sales during this period.
In addition, items from the food, electronics, and sporting goods categories will also generate a considerable number of holiday purchases, so adding more products from these categories to your online store is worth considering.
Ending 2024 on a high note and setting the tone for 2025
Getting into the holiday season ready and preparing for the increase in demand for different types of products will pay dividends.
This holiday season promises to be the best one yet for the ecommerce industry as more and more shoppers worldwide search for Christmas gifts and supplies online.
Still, reaching your potential customers can be challenging due to tough competition in best-selling product categories such as clothes or toys.
That’s why it’s paramount to plan your marketing strategy for the holiday season and ensure your store features products that will attract shoppers. We hope this guide will help you end 2024 on a high note and start 2025 with a bang.
About Webinterpret
Webinterpret supports merchants selling on eBay.
Our AI-based solutions enable more effective selling through automated listing localization, advertising, and returns and ensure all products placed on EU markets are GPSR-compliant.
By giving your international customers a full, end-to-end local shopping experience, Webinterpret improves your conversion and helps establish your business globally.
